The American Dream Act: Deport Illegal Students

In the dead of night on Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act providing amnesty to up to 2.1 million illegal immigrants. According to its proponents, the measure will provide a path to citizenship for the “best and brightest” illegal immigrants, those pursuing higher education or military service, who are more likely to be gainfully employed and less likely to be imprisoned than other illegal aliens. If this is true, it seems to this author that the appropriate response is clear: we should not provide them amnesty but deport them to the last man. The cost of implementing the bill will pale in comparison to the cost of keeping the “best” illegal immigrants in our country.

The DREAM Act would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants who claim they came to the United States before age 16 and have taken two years of college or joined the uniformed services. Even in the highly Democratic lame duck session of Congress, it passed only by a vote of 216-198. Eight Republicans – all but two voted out of office by their constituents – joined the most of the Democrats; one was Mike Castle, who lost his Senate primary fight against Christine O’Donnell.

Despite its proponents’ protests, the bill is not restricted to “kids,” nor to the highest achievers. Illegal aliens up to age 30 are eligible to apply under the latest House version, and older yet in other iterations. The bill requires two years of college, but not that the applicant earn any degree.

To show how cynical its advocates are, while pretending their goal is to attract the most educated illegals, they are considering attaching the DREAM Act to the AgJobs bill, which would provide a “path to citizenship” for agricultural workers, perhaps the least educated of all illegal aliens.

Under the original version of the bill, illegal immigrants were granted in-state tuition rates, a provision likely to be restored at a later date. The Center for Immigration Studies found this alone would cost taxpayers $6.2 billion a year. CIS estimated a total of 1.038 million alien students would enroll in college, allowing each student to pay an average of $5,970 less tuition per year.

Colorado Democratic Congressman Jared Polis, gushed, “The young people covered under this bill are the children any parent would be proud of – our sons and daughters, our neighbors, our classmates, prom kings and queens, football players and cheerleaders, who stayed in school, played by the rules, graduates, worked hard, stayed out of trouble.” He saluted “their pluck, ingenuity, ambition, drive, and creativity.” He concluded, “These DREAMers embody the very best among our American values.”

The enthusiasm is not confined to Democrats. On Tuesday, former Bush-43 speechwriter Michael Gerson wrote in The Washington Post, “It would be difficult to define a more sympathetic group of potential Americans.”

When I hear such nonsense, I wonder if I woke up on the same planet as our political leadership.

However much sympathy I may have for “potential Americans,” I am infinitely more interested in actual Americans – 10 percent of whom are out of work, 421,000 more this week than last. Fully 13 percent of Americans are on food stamps – and many more are eligible. In this environment, less Americans are able to afford college tuition rates, in-state or otherwise, and fewer of those who do are likely to find a job. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, businesses are making 15 percent fewer job offers to today’s college graduates than they did in 2008. The average salary for new grads has slipped 1.7 percent since last year.

Improving the lot of our fellow citizens should be our first priority. To that end, I offer my own invention: The American Dream Act.

Its chief proposal is simple: After violent criminals, the illegal immigrants covered by the DREAM Act are the first group of people we should deport.

True, not all “DREAMers” are the best and brightest, but some may well be. They will compete with American citizens for openings in American universities and later, for jobs. Due to the ethnic status of most illegals, they will enjoy preferred recruitment status at most colleges under Affirmative Action policies. They will likely be granted in-state tuition, but even under the House version they are eligible for loans and other forms of financial assistance – a finite pie depleted by their participation. Every precious educationdollar they receive is a dollar denied an American. Should they graduate, they will be competing against native American degree-holders (I don’t mean Indians) for jobs. Once again, because of their Affirmative Action status, they will be chosen before equally well-educated native born Americans. Far from taking “jobs Americans won’t do,” they will edge out our fellow countrymen for the most competitive and lucrative positions available.

Those illegal aliens eligible for the DREAM Act will enjoy a subsidy for their education, preferred college placement, and Affirmative Action hiring bonuses. Since nearly all are bilingual, they possess highly sought after skills, since employers want to do business with the throngs of their fellow aliens successive administrations have refused to deport. They will be fast tracked to the American dream, while Americans continue to fall behind.

They are, in other words, the greatest threat to displace young American workers struggling in the worst job market since the Great Depression.

A clear-headed Congressman whose allegiance was to his fellow Americans first would know the one move that would be in his country’s best interest: deportation. America does not need a glut of people educated by lawbreakers edging its sons and daughters out of colleges and employment opportunities. The fewer competitors, the better for Americans. And the fewer incentives to break our immigration laws, the less we will have to needlessly extend suicidally generous special benefits to those who have no right to any benefits whatsoever.

Deporting those most likely to take a young citizen’s job should be the first move to full deportation of illegal aliens, because of the threat they pose to American citizens if legalized. They are the youngest, most Americanized, most able to blend into American society. They are looked to as the future economic providers for the other illegals in their homes. Deporting them will cut off the best source of economic support illegals currently have. Since their relatives would someday become eligible for “chain migration” under our family reunification laws, deporting these young people would demonstrate that their children will not be anchors for their future citizenship. Since the illegal immigrants covered by this bill are specifically the best educated, most upwardly mobile, and best behaved of all the 10-15 million illegal immigrants in the United States today, they will be an economic boon to Mexico, reversing the brain drain of immigrants heading norte.Deporting them would similarly drive home how seriously we take our borders. The two-pronged focus on violent illegals and upwardly mobile, well-behaved illegals may encourage the rest of the illegals to voluntarily self-deport.

The most important benefit it will render is the aid given to struggling American citizens, who will not have to face one another and illegals at job interviews. It will remove another source of welfare spending – and not merely for in-state tuition or grants. In fact, a growing number of colleges are showing students how to apply for food stamps. Draining the swamp will allow more of these dollars to go to Americans, and the improved economic outlook may help assure fewer Americans overall need become dependent on government for their sustenance.

I realize my proposed bill may not be enacted in its purest form. As the president has shown us this week, politics requires compromise. Since Democrats will still control the Senate until (at least) 2012, they may modify my proposal to add spending I oppose as a precondition for passing it. If Democrats insist on spending the $6.2 billion we will have saved by axing the DREAM Act, forthwith is a compromise proposal: Why not create 1.038 “American Dream Opportunity Scholarships” offering in-state tuition rates to high-performing students from low-income families in other states? We could offer a higher scholarship to those who pledge to serve in the Border Patrol for at least three years after graduation.Their service will go further to sure up our economic well-being by denying additional job competitors from entering our borders.

If only there were one Congressman dedicated to his country’s well-being that would make this proposal a legislative reality. Then again, I hope to be surprised. The fact that Congress is seriously debating doing the reverse tells me a great deal about their commitment to those they claim to represent.

About Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson is the editor of several conservative websites. A seasoned journalist, he has broken a host of news stories of national importance and written sizzling editorials that started the nation talking. A former talk show host, he has been a guest on The Michael Savage Show, Nothing But Truth with Crane Durham, Crosstalk on VCY America, The G. Gordon Liddy Show, The Bob Dutko Show, and scores of local programs. The Managing Editor of FrontPage Magazine (2004-2010) and previously its Associate Editor (2003-2004), he is the author of three books. He maintains his own website, TheRightsWriter.com, which you can view here. You can contact him here.

26 Responses to The American Dream Act: Deport Illegal Students

ALL illegal aliens should be deported; those who have been caught only once, and who have been caught for NO other crimes should be told "pay a fine of $10,000, then go back to your home country and file the papers at the US embassy/consulate–and abide by its decision!". Those with any more crimes (or who have been caught twice for illegal entry, such as infamous Elvira Arellano, should be fingerprinted, put in irons and mug-shooted thus–and then dumped irons unremoved in their country of citizenship, while their mug-shots and prints should then be distributed to all US embassies/consulates which issue visas!

The "dreams" of some mean the "nightmares" of others – don't tell me there aren't thousands of legal people jumping through all the right hoops and over all the right hurdles who will be bypassed as these "brightest and best"go to the head of the line – along with a "few" of the deviant, criminal, illiterate, etc. This also by-passes natural born citizens who are "dreaming" of college and advanced degrees, start up and higher paying jobs and careers. marrying and rearing children, – are they to "jump" to other countries and try finding a country with a similar "DREAM" act ? Such "pipedreams" are nightmares made of.

This so-called Dream Act is nothing more than back-door amnesty! I want OUR kids taken care of…not ILLEGAL ALIENS! And the only people I want entering this country are those law-abiding citizens of other countries who are still waiting in line to enter the United States LEGALLY! THOSE are the people who deserve to be at the head of the line!

Our border is being rushed by an illegal immigration invasion in the hope of swamping this country to the point that our border will become non-existant…thus ensuring Obama's vision of a total merging of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and other 'southern' countries into just one large nation!

I think that all the illegal should be deported back to what ever country they come from and we need to severely cut the amount of immigrants coming here. That would help out our school systems and social services and unemployment too by opening up construction jobs even farm labor we can push our children to take farm labor jobs in summer times make them work and study harder. I know when I was a teen I and a lot of other kid did farm work.

Okay, let's assume Rep Polis is correct…these illegal aliens, being brought here as young children, educated in our schools, and are now the brightest and most talented amongst the U.S. population. If this is true, then he sure is degrading all the remaining youth that are now fifth and sixth generation Americans.

Rep. Polis is also showing just how selfish the USA is by wanting to keep the brightest and most talented in the USA as opposed to sending them back to the the country of their parents that brought them here illegally. By allowing them to be come legal U.S. Citizens, we then deny their native country of the talent and brightness. Let's quite stealing the brain trust from the nations that need it most. Let them return to Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and the many, many other countries from around the world that need them to improve their very own economies.

No matter what anyone says, If we were to do something illegally, we would suffer the consequences. Doing something illegally, to me , means it should not be done. If Polis thinks letting illegals come to the USA to get an education, is the answer, I have one question for him & that is; If a college education is so great, then why do all of the people in congress not know the meaning of "ILLEGAL". These clowns in Congress, will stoop to any measures to do whatever for worthless people, who will in turn more then likely vote for them. I am sure this Lame Duck Congress will pass the Dream Act, because they have proven time & time again, that they do not care what the Majority of people want, or what is best for the USA. Our Reps in Congress are corrupt, power mad, money hungry, crooks, & until enough people wake up, & vote them out of office, nothing is going to change. The old incumbants need to go, & we need to impose term limits. Really, the idiots in favor of Amnesty, should be deported, right along with the Illegals.

your so right when you talk about the illegals,it seems that in this country a person committs a crime to get money to put food on the table every law enforcement agency will go after this person but if your illegal no one cares.Homeland Securty,ICE DOJ and locals don't give a rats ass.We will make real Americans pay full tuition but not wetbacks amazing.

(1 of 4) Okay, so what about these kids who are in elementary school, do well, go to middle school, start to be interested in a career, go to high school. They are interested in college or a university. They want to contribute to the United States. They do not qualify for many scholarships or any government grants so they work and attend classes and get a degree. But since they are illegal, due to their parents searching for a better life and moving away, they are not eligible for getting a job as a teacher, a doctor, an engineer because of a simple piece of paper. I council high school students who many of them, are illegal immigrants. They have ambitions, they want to go to college, they want to be successful. However, it is hard to motivate them when they know that after they work hard to pay themselves through college, they will not be able to do anything with the career.

(2 of 4)You all have to realize that like it or not, we have many students in our schools that are legal and are illegal. They are illegal due to something that their parents did. Why should they have every door possible slammed in their face? Would it be fair if I told you that since your parents dropped out of school, you could never finish school? Or if your parents broke the law in their 20’s or got a DUI that you would have to spend time in jail, or that you would not be able to drive until 22? Would you want your own children to suffer for your actions?

YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT! As long as America allows people who break the law to use the kid as the pawn, we are all doomed. You DO not allow them to stay because their parents broke OUR laws! You DEPORT all illegal aliens and send a message to the world that America does NOT tolerate law-breakers.

What YOU are saying is that hey, sneak across the border and hey, we will reward you.

(3 of 4) Sure there are some flaws with the American Dream act such as the age restriction, or lack there of, and the 2-year requirement. But we have to also consider the students that that do not fit that category. And think of this…. Would you rather have the illegal immigrants dropping out of high school and being on the streets, or being in school becoming educated citizens?
Next week I am taking a group of second language learning students, some are legal, some are not, to a community college to learn about the enrollment process. They are so thirsty for knowledge and a future. They are hoping that when they graduate from the community college that there will be an opportunity for them to use their degree.

(4 of 4) If you keep saying that you want to deny them of these opportunities, you are keeping them on the streets and encouraging them to be a problem. You cannot hide behind comments like…deport them, or have them go through the citizen process. You need to be realistic and go visit a high school or middle school. Go meet these kids that you are so easily bashing in your comments.
You do not need to respond and try to defend your position. I work with this issue every day; I work with these kids, their parents, and these issues. You do not. You only see the news, listen to your family, and what the common thought is. Just think about what I have to say. Thank you.